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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · rush · temple · toast · chest · land · fine · leaves

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. land — ground
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. land — to come down
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chest — a box
  7. fine — all right
  8. rush — hurry
  9. land — a country
  10. fine — high quality
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. toast — bread
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. chest — of your body
  23. sharp — clever
  24. toast — a drink to someone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com